


keep me close

by forbiddenquill



Series: Coping Mechanism After MAMA 2019 [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Sharing beds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21671200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: In which Tzuyu goes to Nayeon for comfort after MAMA 2019.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Im Nayeon
Series: Coping Mechanism After MAMA 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562296
Comments: 5
Kudos: 240





	keep me close

**Author's Note:**

> For @fluffyeons on Twitter.

There’s a knock on Nayeon’s door. 

Nayeon groans, putting her phone down and rising from her bed. A quick glance at the clock tells her that it’s already nearing midnight. Who could be knocking on her door at this hour? After their performance at MAMA 2019, everybody is exhausted. By the time the event ended, the girls just wanted to sleep back at their hotel. The not-so-secret shots Jeongyeon and Momo did beforehand was definitely one of the worst decisions they could’ve made and Jihyo looked ready to murder all of them once she found out. The two idiots even managed to rope Sana and Chaeyoung into it. At least Chaeng was still able to deliver a speech without slurring her words as much as Jeong or Momo did. 

Thankfully, Dahyun and Tzuyu didn’t give her that much of a headache. 

If Mina was with them, she would’ve been laughing at the sight of her four members losing it on live TV. The thought is enough to make Nayeon smile as she heads to the door. Her hair is still damp from the shower she took earlier and drops of water cascade down the sides of her face. She wipes them with the back of her hand as she swings the door open.

“Tzuyu-yah!” Nayeon grins brightly. “What are you doing here?”

Their maknae is standing on the other side. She’s dressed for bed, wearing her Kakao pajamas and holding a large dog plushie in her arms. With her hair tied in a bun on top of her head and her face devoid of make-up, the exhaustion is clear on her face. Nayeon’s smile falters. Even though their maknae is only 20 years old, she looks older and more mature. The thought doesn’t sit right with Nayeon. In another life, she imagines Tzuyu being a carefree college student, studying how to be a veterinarian and diligently getting high marks on her essays on why dogs deserve more rights than humans. 

“Hi, unnie,” Tzuyu whispers, smiling at her. It’s not her usual eye-smile, the one where the dimple on her left cheek peeks out. 

Immediately, Nayeon knows something is wrong. She opens the door to her room wider, gesturing for Tzuyu to come inside. After a moment’s hesitation, she does. 

“Do you need anything?” Nayeon asks quietly, placing her hand on Tzuyu’s back as she makes sure her room is locked.

Almost at once, Tzuyu relaxes against her touch. “I know that we don’t do this anymore,” she mutters, ducking her head, “but is it okay if I sleep with you tonight?” 

The surprise must’ve been evident on Nayeon’s face because once Tzuyu catches sight of it, she quickly takes a step back and shakes her head. “But it’s okay if you don’t want to,” she mumbles, cheeks red, “It’s stupid of me to ask. You probably want to sleep after—”

“Tzuyu-yah,” Nayeon gently interrupts, a gentle laugh bubbling past her lips as she retracts her hand from the younger girl’s back and touches her arm; “you don’t have to ask.” At these words, Tzuyu’s shoulders relaxes and she returns Nayeon’s smile. 

It’s true. They don’t do this anymore. Back when they just debuted, Tzuyu always came to Nayeon’s room just to sleep next to her on the bed. It was awkward at first, especially since they didn’t know each other that well. But apparently, Tzuyu slept so badly for the first few weeks in their new dorm that she couldn’t even perform well at practices. It was Nayeon’s idea to ask Tzuyu to sleep over at their room. With three other girls sharing the largest room, she had thought that having some company would help Tzuyu get some rest. 

It worked. 

But gradually, as their schedules got busier and Tzuyu grew even closer to Dahyun and Chaeyoung, the nightly visits from the maknae stopped. Nayeon didn’t mind but she’d be lying if she didn’t say she didn’t miss Tzuyu’s company. Even though Tzuyu was taller than her and took up most of the space on her bed, her warmth was a gentle reminder that Nayeon was the eldest unnie and that she was needed by her members. 

“Tonight was…” Tzuyu begins as Nayeon starts preparing for bed, drying her hair with the towel and making sure her phone is charged for the night. The maknae is already sitting on the left side of the queen-sized bed, still clutching her dog plushie. 

“Tonight was hard,” Nayeon finishes for her, switching the overhead lights off and keeping the nightlight on, “I know that Jihyo told us not to expect anything but it was still a slap to the face.” 

Tzuyu nods, looking grateful to be understood. “I wish Mina was there,” she murmurs, “I think she would’ve made things easier.” 

“I wish the same thing.” 

“Jeongyeon and Momo were a mess.”

“Did you see them taking their shots?” Nayeon eases into the bed, laughing softly when she sees Tzuyu facepalm. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I told Chaeng not to drink anything,” Tzuyu says fiercely, “especially after she just recovered from being sick. She never listens to me.”

“Chaeyoung is stubborn.”

“I’m going to get grey hairs because of her.” 

Nayeon laughs again, thinking of Tzuyu scolding an already inebriated Chaeyoung. She was too busy trying to make sure Jeongyeon and Momo wouldn’t throw up on their way to MAMA to see what the rest of the girls were doing. Tonight was definitely a mess. From trying to come up with coherent speeches to performing their songs on stage, they were setting themselves up for a disastrous outcome. Not to mention, Jihyo wasn’t feeling too well earlier so Nayeon had to take over a few times. 

Thank God she isn’t the leader. She doesn’t know how Jihyo does it sometimes.

Nayeon and Tzuyu slip under the covers, no more words exchanged between them. The older woman reaches out and switches the nightlight off. The darkness is quick to overwhelm all her senses with only the moon shedding some semblance of illumination from the window. If she listens closely enough, she can hear Tzuyu breathing steadily next to her and the sounds of cars honking several floors below. 

“What made you come to me?” Nayeon asks quietly, lying on the right side of the bed. Behind her, she hears Tzuyu shifting around. “Like you said, it’s been a while since we’ve done this.”

Tzuyu hums. “Chaeyoung already locked her room when I came knocking.” 

“So, I’m your second choice.” 

“Would you be surprised?” 

Nayeon chuckles, shaking her head. “Savage,” she mutters. 

Shifting noises again. Then to her surprise, Nayeon feels long limbs wrapping around her middle and Tzuyu’s head pressing in between her shoulder blades. Warmth explodes in Nayeon’s stomach when she feels herself being pulled into a tight embrace by the younger girl. It’s nice to be held like this, especially when they’ve spent the past nights separated by hotel rooms. Tzuyu doesn’t say anything for a long time, her fingers tracing patterns on the exposed skin of Nayeon’s stomach. 

“I’m kidding,” Tzuyu finally says.

“Hmm?” 

“You’re my first choice.” Tzuyu raises her head slightly, sighing, and her breath tickles the back of Nayeon’s neck. It makes Nayeon shiver, goosebumps running down her arms. “Every time something bad happens, I always want to go to you,” Tzuyu adds softly.

The words make Nayeon warm all over. It always feels nice to be needed but to be wanted is something else entirely. Especially when it comes from Tzuyu, one of the people whose always had difficulty expressing herself. 

_I always want to go to you_. 

Nayeon twists around in Tzuyu’s embrace, making the younger girl whine softly, before she realizes what her unnie is doing. Now they’re lying side-by-side, facing each other. If Nayeon squints hard enough, she can see the way Tzuyu’s eyes never leave hers. The maknae’s gaze is warm and fond, full of silent questions and persistent worries, igniting a fiery need within Nayeon to protect this girl at all costs. 

“And I’ll always be here for you,” Nayeon whispers, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss on Tzuyu’s temple, “Don’t ever forget that.”

When Tzuyu tucks her head under Nayeon’s chin and wraps her arms around her body, Nayeon can feel the shape of the younger girl’s smile against the skin of her collarbone. Her own smile grows and she closes her eyes, running her fingers up and down Tzuyu’s spine. It takes a while but she can gradually feel their maknae falling into a deep slumber. It’s what Nayeon always does to ensure Tzuyu gets the rest she needs. It’s good to know that some things haven’t changed. 

This year has been hard for all of them, especially with scandals and Mina’s hiatus. But Nayeon always tries to positive. She has to. Her members need her. Even now, after the disappointing outcome of tonight’s event, she tries to make up for it by telling herself that for every bad thing to happen, Tzuyu will come knocking on her door. 

**Author's Note:**

> Next up - Dayeon


End file.
